State Department walks back Trump's 'unification' remark

Washington/Taipei, May 13 (CNA) The United States State Department on Monday reaffirmed that U.S. policy on Taiwan has not changed after President Donald Trump used the word "unification" in commenting on recent trade talks with China.

At a wide-ranging press conference, Trump spoke about what he believed were the gains made by U.S. trade talks with China in Geneva over the weekend.

"They've agreed to open China -- fully open China. And I think it's going to be fantastic for China. I think it's going to be fantastic for us," Trump said. "I think it's going to be great for unification and peace."

Trump's use of the word "unification," almost always used in the context of China unifying or annexing Taiwan, raised eyebrows in Taiwan.

The State Department said, however, that Trump was not thinking of Taiwan.

"It's clear President Trump was speaking in the context of the U.S.-China trade relationship," a State Department spokesperson told CNA on Monday.

Just before using the term "unification" in his remarks Monday, Trump lamented the falling through of a trade deal with China during his first term that he said "would have brought unity, better unity, between China and the United States," perhaps indicating that he misused the term "unification."

The State Department also reiterated that "U.S. policy on Taiwan remains the same."

"We continue to have an abiding interest in peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait" it said, adding that the U.S. "opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo by either side."

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) responded to Trump's comment by echoing the U.S. State Department's contention that it was made in a trade context.

"According to our understanding, the Taiwan issue was not touched on during the latest round of U.S.-China trade negotiations," said MOFA spokesperson Hsiao Kuangwei (蕭光偉) during a MOFA weekly briefing on Tuesday.

Trump's comments followed two days of talks in Switzerland between the world's two largest economies, during which the two sides agreed to ease their tit-for-tat battle over tariffs.

Under the preliminary agreement, the U.S. will lower tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China will reduce levies on U.S. goods from 125 percent to 10 percent.